The Reigning Players
by homra-kid
Summary: As a son of the powerful Luxord Strife, Roxas must abide to a marriage with their ally, Noctis Luis Caelum but when he crosses paths with Axel Sinclair—a man who is aligned with Luxord's arch rival, Rufus Shinra—their meeting becomes Roxas' greatest undoing.


**The Reigning Players**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story or the many elements of the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchise mentioned, they belong respectfully to Square Enix.

**Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, AU and also some mild OOC-ness… character death or two. There will be various time skips as well. If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Music:** "Kings" by Angela & "Our Game" by DBSK

**A/N:** I know I still have a lot to do but this was a nagging idea that I've had for a really long time and after listening to Final Fantasy soundtracks and watching K Project for the fourth time, I gave in. I now present you with The Reigning Players which will have an abundance of humor, drama, tension, action and love triangles~ This is also still in the developing stages so I can't guarantee how often I can update this story.

**Chapter 1: Enter Fenrir's Rebellious Prince: Roxas**

_Luxord opened the door to his bedroom cautiously, knowing full well of the mental state in which he left his wife in. Things like this happened and were sometimes unexplained—he understood that but to put himself in her position and wonder what had gone wrong, if whether it was something she had done, if it had been something in her body—something that was wrong with her specifically, he just couldn't imagine her pain. _

_Releasing a heavy sigh, the blond male finally entered the living space quietly, his blue eyes casted downwards to avoid looking into the distraught expression that was sure to be worn on his heartbroken wife's face. _

_Not a sound was heard, not even a light sob like he had originally expected and it perked his interest immediately as worry began to fill him. Quickly Luxord took wide steps across the room, blue eyes instantly widening at the sight that was arranged before him._

"_Cosmos!" Luxord panicked, his voice booming suddenly as he ran over to the bedside and shook the pale body of his wife. "Cosmos, say something! Open your eyes!" He began to beg._

_The frantic noises coming from the master bedroom alerted the couple's eldest son. Out of his curiosity, the young seven year old peered into the room, oblivious to the tragedy that was taking place. "Father? What's wrong? Why are you yelling?"_

_Seeing the still form of his mother held closely against the older blonde's body, the child's composure instantly crumbled and he ran straight towards his parent's without a second thought._

"_Mother!" He screamed, his hand shooting out instantly to grasp the loose sleeve of her white gown. "Father what happened to her? Is she okay?"_

"_Cloud stay back!" Luxord yelled with his back turned to his son and his face hidden from view. Cradling his wife's cold body, he squeezed his eyes shut and sighed shakily. "You need to leave the room now, go check on Sora for me, alright?"_

"_B-but father—"_

"_I said leave!" The older male exclaimed this time, causing the small boy to freeze in place before backtracking slowly out of the room with a silent sob._

_Hearing the door click behind him, Luxord began to shake considerably as he gave the body a tight squeeze. Glancing down one last time at the sad yet peaceful countenance on his wife's face, he gently placed her back down on the bed before bringing his attention to the small wiggling bundle situated on his pillow._

_Gradually, Luxord's face fell. Shaking, he looked down and held his head in his hands as he began to release a desperate cry. He shouted and screamed, his voice aching the louder he screeched into the open space of the cold room. Digging his fingers into the roots of his platinum blond hair, he yanked several times at the short locks and sobbed quietly to himself. _

_His beloved wife was dead but as he watched the once still body of his youngest son squirm and whimper under the tight blankets beside the fair haired beauty, Luxord understood why she made such a sacrifice. _

_As the older male stared long and hard at the lively newborn, the child finally emitted a shrill cry, thus alerting Luxord of his discomfort. Sniffling quietly, he watched his new son's eyes squeeze shut as he struggled even harder against the white cloth. Wiping the last of his tears away from the corners of his sad blue eyes, Luxord stretched his arms out towards the newborn boy. Picking him up delicately, he cradled the small bundle closely and began to hum and coo gently at him._

"_Daddy's here now, daddy's got you, Roxas, it'll be alright. I won't let anything bad happen to you… Roxas…"_

"_Roxas…"_

"Roxas."

"Hey, Roxas!"

"Oh Roxas!"

"You lazy bum, get up!" The louder voice of the three shouted until they finally did the unthinkable and jumped on top of the sleeping blonde's back.

Jolted by the force of a heavy body on top of him, the young boy shrieked with pure horror in his scream. Squirming deliriously in his place on the couch, he finally came to a stop when the voices around him began to laugh at his display.

Sitting right in front of him on the armrest of the couch, Cait Sith flicked his tail back and forth whilst giggling uncontrollably and pointing a gloved hand at him the moment he looked up. Lying across his back, Sora's amusement was no better than Cait since he had been the culprit to scare him out of his hazy dream world and back into reality. But unlike his feline friend though, the brunet was found rolling and crushing him painfully against the leather cushion of the sofa.

"You fat lard get off of me!"

"Hey now, that isn't a very nice thing to say to me little brother!" The older boy exclaimed as a pout quickly formed on his face. No longer laughing, he rested an elbow right on top of the younger boy's spine and in doing so, caused his little brother to yelp loudly in pain.

"G-get off! You're going to break my back fatso!"

Nanaki growled lightly at the offending brunet before approaching the blonde's face only to give him a light nuzzle against his cheek.

"Okay, okay, jeez Nanaki…" Sora frowned. Sitting up a little, he straddled his younger brother's lower back.

"Sora… Seriously, get off before you snap my spinal cord…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I got cha." He replied as he rolled his blue eyes.

Climbing off of his brother's back, Sora planted his feet down on the ceramic floor and spun on his heel. "According to my watch, it is currently five o'clock which means you have an hour before we take you out on your first _official_ scouting."

Pounding a balled up fist against his shoulder blade, Roxas paused midway to stare up at the smiling brunet. The meaning behind his brother's words took but a few seconds to register into his brain and by the time realization dawned on him, he was up and running wildly across the living room area into the main foyer.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Roxas' voice echoed behind him, his words leaving Sora all but giggling in place as he held his stomach.

"You really are cruel to him, you do know that right?" Nanaki glared softly.

"I know, but I'm his older brother and it's part of my job to make his life difficult. Besides, you've gotta admit it's pretty funny to get this kind of reaction out of him."

oOoOo

Literally sprinting up the stairs, Roxas threw open his bedroom door and headed straight for his closet. Pulling out a pair of black jeans, a white V-neck with a triangular cut out in the center of the bottom hem to reveal his toned stomach and his favorite leather jacket with an assortment of buckles and chains, Roxas set to work on stripping himself down to his boxers and changing into his selected attire for the night. Grabbing his prized utility belt from his desk, he clipped it on quickly and proceeded to pull on his socks and stuff his feet into a pair of black combat boots that sat waiting for him on the side of his bed. Looking himself over in the full length mirror, he brushed the side of his flaxen hair behind his ear to reveal a silver wolf with a ring hanging in its jaws which clung securely on his lower earlobe.

"Tonight is the night I become an official member of Fenrir." He grinned. Fingering the earring lightly, he then looked down at his necklace, eying the four pointed star as he held the charm between his fingers.

For as long as he could remember, he'd always worn the chic white gold necklace. No one could tell him where it came from since no one knew but after years of wearing it without fail or remembering its origins, Roxas accepted that it was one of those mysteries that had little to no conclusion. It was alright with him though, because even if he didn't remember where it came from, it was still a pretty cool accessory to wear regardless.

Stepping back from his reflection, Roxas treaded back towards the door as his heart pounded loudly in his ears. Turning off his bedroom light, he closed the door behind him with a light sigh and pressed his back up against the wooden surface.

"Wow… I can't believe this is really happening…" He chuckled to himself as he shook his head.

Releasing a short laugh, Roxas bounded towards the top of the stairs and began his jog down to the main entrance. As he reached the bottom half of the stairwell, a group of men entered the foyer from his right—obviously having just exited from the meeting room after discussing goodness knows what. Slowly, Roxas stopped at the very last step, his blue hues locking with that of the blond haired man leading the small crowd. Both males paused, giving one another acknowledgement as the other men behind the flaxen haired leader stopped in their tracks to stare at the younger blond.

"Father."

"Good evening Roxas, it seems as though you're going out?" Luxord slowly asked as he arched a thin brow at his youngest son.

"Yeah, it's my first official scouting as a member of Fenrir now." The youngster replied, his eyes wandering briefly towards four particularly unrecognizable males.

"Already? But you're only—!"

"Old man I'm almost eighteen!" Roxas quickly retorted before his father could finish his sentence. "Jeez, you must be getting old if you're having a hard time remembering my age…"

The older male frowned at his youngest son. "I can't believe how cruel you are to me, I'm your father for goodness sakes…" he sighed dramatically with his right hand pressed against chest.

"Tck, whatever old man."

Settling his gaze on one particularly individual, Roxas was met by a familiar head of beautiful steel-blue tresses that covered the right side of the person's placid face. Seeing the man's signature indifferent expression, Roxas smiled instantly before launching his body forward and tackling the silent man.

"Zexion!"

Gasping, the shorter male fell back against the ceramic floor with a loud thud that left everyone in the room wincing on his behalf. The slated haired male luckily managed to capture the other boy by the shoulders just in time to cushion the blonde's fall but it came with a heavy price, resulting in him receiving a throbbing pain that pulsed agonizingly throughout his entire back along with an equally painful whiplash that left his head spinning.

Laughing into the crook of the other's neck, Roxas' blue eyes sparkled as he looked up at the dazed male.

"Zexion you're back!"

"Y-yes, I am..." He stuttered and began to groan.

"Hey, how come you're never this excited whenever I return from a long trip? I don't get it!" Luxord exclaimed. Reaching a hand into the front of his pants pocket, the older male produced a rectangular shaped leather wallet and flipped it open to reveal a photograph of his late wife. "Oh Cosmos, what have I done to deserve such a heartless child?" He sniffled.

"Would you stop talking to pictures of mom? She can't even give you a reply back you idiot!"

"And there he goes again Cosmos! Tearing out my heartstring's one by one!" He moaned tearfully into his arm.

"Father!" Roxas pouted but it earned him an equal looking pout from Luxord himself.

"Alright, alright," Luxord finally said as he flipped his wallet closed again and dropped it back into his pocket.

Climbing up off of his dazed friend, Roxas helped the other boy up onto his feet and dusted off his shoulders. "Sorry about that Zexion, I got excited…"

"I understand, it's quite alright, I forgive you Roxas."

Glancing at the ash haired male who had been watching the scene unfold before him intently, Zexion gulped nervously and stepped back from his blond friend.

"Roxas, may I remind you that I told you this morning not to make any plans for tonight." Luxord said, his voice now taking on a serious tone that had Roxas turning towards him with narrowed blue eyes instantly.

"I've been looking forward to this day for months. I'm not going to reschedule my first official scouting just because something came up and changed your plans. Besides, I don't see why I should have to reorganize my schedule for your convenience, _sir_."

Sighing, Luxord rubbed the sides of his temples in an effort to stay calm. Out of his three sons, Roxas was by far the most rebellious and gave him an even nastier headache that both Cloud and Sora could never hope to rival. Seeing the glare he was being given by his youngest son, the older blond clicked his tongue. It was now or never.

"Roxas, this is Noctis Lucis Caelum." Luxord said as he gestured towards the dark haired male next to him.

Frowning, the teen gave the said man a look over, his bright blue eyes meeting the other's cobalt hues before he decided to continue glaring at his father. He didn't understand where the change in discussion was coming from and he had a really bad feeling about where it was going.

"He is Zexion's older cousin, leader of our ally group in Lucis and… he is also your fiancé…"

"Excuse me?"

In that moment, it felt as though time had stopped. All Roxas could do was stare blankly into the face of a strange man he had never seen before in his life and it made his blood run cold. He couldn't move from his spot and it frightened him to no end. He saw mouths moving between his father and this _Noctis_ person but he couldn't make out the conversation they shared. All he could heard was a loud buzzing noise and he furrowed his brows as panic began to consume him. When he saw a look of concern flash across the older male's eyes, he stood there in his place—petrified as the other's hand slowly reached out to touch him.

'_No… no…' _Roxas began chanting in his head.

The second Noctis' hand made contact with his cheek; Roxas gasped sharply and slapped it away. "Don't touch me!"

The ash haired male stared at the short teen with wide wavering cobalt blue eyes, his hand held out in midair after having been smacked away. "R-roxas, it's me, Noct—don't you remember?"

"No I don't!" The blond quickly retorted; his glare now focused on the shocked male instead of his father.

Behind Roxas, a menacing growl accompanied by several footsteps could be heard. The distant noise grew louder and louder as it traveled closer towards the group and before anyone could comprehend the situation, Nanaki came bursting forward, his deadly fangs exposed and his hair standing up on end as he rushed to shield Roxas from the people he saw as a threat.

"What's with all of the yelling going on over here?" Sora asked with a hint of concern in his voice. "Oh, well hey there!"

"Roxas, what's wrong?" Cloud came up behind his younger brother and placed his hands on the teen's stiff shoulders. Giving them a light squeeze, he looked towards the group of men who were most likely responsible for the boy's distress. Frowning, he glared lightly at his father and the older man coughed nervously under his eldest son's gaze. "I thought you promised that you'd leave him alone today, father."

"Noctis was already in town after I promised you, Cloud. I was just being hospitable today and since we ran into Roxas after our meeting I thought it'd be nice to reintroduce them again…"

"Yeah, and tip him off about being engaged to a guy already in his twenty's?" Cloud added.

"What!" Roxas exclaimed but his question went ignored.

"Ouch." Sora winced.

"Okay, so it didn't go the way I envisioned…" Luxord replied uneasily as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah you think!" The younger blond spat and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Nice going, dad." Sora commented with a heavy sigh. Conflicts between his younger brother and their father weren't an unusual occurrence in the Strife household—if anything it was considered a part of the family's everyday life since the moment Roxas had learned to speak the English language and talk back at people with a feisty attitude. If there was at least one day where both father and son weren't yelling at each other, then it was more than likely to signal that all hell was on the verge of breaking loose at any moment.

The air was still thick with tension despite Cloud and Sora's intervention. Nanaki continued to bare his fangs up at the unfamiliar faces, including Luxord and Zexion which left Roxas smirking as he kneeled down next to his red furred companion to wrap his arms around the beast's neck.

Looking down at his watch, Sora tapped his older brother's shoulder and pointed down at the time. "Hey, it's about five- thirty now, we need to go."

"Right." Cloud replied.

Still glaring at his father, Roxas scratched Nanaki behind the ear before standing back up on his feet and turning heel. With his back turned towards the older blond and the rest of the men, the younger blond clenched his fists tightly. "I'm going out scouting with Cloud, Sora and Zack and there's nothing you can do about it. Even if you are my father and the leader of Fenrir, I'm not listening to anything you have to say!" He shouted.

"Roxas…" Luxord hissed as his blue eyes narrowed at his youngest son.

Slowly turning his head to glance over his shoulder at one man in particular, Roxas' glare intensified. "And… I'm not marrying some guy I just met because you say he's my fiancé either!"

With that said, Roxas huffed and walked briskly out of the foyer followed quickly by Nanaki and then his brothers. Once out of sight, the men breathed a sigh of relief now that Fenrir's rebellious prince was no longer within range.

"Well, that went rather _well_, don't you think?"

"Ignis, shut up! That went terribly!" An unruly blond exclaimed. Turning swiftly to his dark haired friend he shook his leader's body by the shoulders. "I can't believe you're actually intending to marry that little brat Noct! What's wrong with you?"

"He's probably still thinking about the little boy from god knows how long ago." Gladiolus commented with a light chuckle.

"Roxas' reaction was to be expected though." Zexion added as he crossed his arms, his one visible blue eye still staring after his best friend. "After all, it has been twelve years since they last saw each other and need I remind you about the memory loss he suffered in the accident eleven years ago? It was only natural for Roxas to act out in that manner."

"Yeah and turn into a loud mouthed brat…" Prompto mumbled.

The slated haired male glared. "I'd take caution if I were you, Prompto…"

"Oh? And why is that, Zexion?" The unruly blond glared back.

"Because to insult Roxas would be the same as insulting me." Zexion hissed threateningly as he produced a small knife from his sleeve.

"Alright you two, that's enough!" Luxord intervened in the two's escalating argument by placing himself right in between them, thus preventing any physical retaliation from happening on both ends. Glancing towards his silent son-in-law to be, Luxord's eyes fell to the ground slightly in disappointment. "I'm sorry you had to witness Roxas' short temper, Noctis. It's a—it's a common occurrence with him and it's _not _because he's a brat." He said, glaring specifically at Prompto who gulp nervously under his intense gaze.

"He's always been rather assertive and hardly beats around the bush when there is something he isn't comfortable with. And as you have already seen, he's rebellious to a fault and doesn't take kindly to authority, obviously when it comes to me in particular but I'm optimistic when I say that it's just that stage all of you runts go through…"

Noctis chuckled lightly, his blue eyes softening now as he turned towards the older male. "Thank you for summing that up Luxord. I was shocked by Roxas' outburst but, seeing as how I'm no longer dealing with the little five year old I once knew, it makes courting him much easier now that I'm aware of this dominant side of his personality."

"You're still going through with it then?" Prompto asked with blinking eyes.

"Of course, I promised him that we would be together again and I don't plan on going back on my word." Noctis replied. Giving his blond haired friend a short smirk, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "And besides, I noticed that the necklace around his neck was the one I gave him before I left Radiant Garden. I'm glad that he's still wearing it, however it's still sad that his memories of me were lost."

"Hey, you're a charmer, before you know it Roxas will be falling head over heels for you!" Gladiolus said with confidence. "Just like another blue eyed blondie I know of." He added with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"He's right, in due time my boy is sure to become smitten with you!" Luxord shouted enthusiastically. He then gave the ash haired male a few pats on the back, grinning widely at the embarrassed Caelum.

"I—I hope you're right." Noctis said timidly as he tried to look away.

"Have I ever been wrong?" Luxord grinned.

"Do I really need to answer that question for you on behalf of everyone here?" Zexion sighed.

Shooting the younger man a glare, the teen shut his mouth quickly. "That's what I thought, Zexion." The blond said.

"Well, is dinner still on the agenda?" Ignis asked. "Standing around conversing amongst ourselves may be entertaining but it is hardly considered productive."

"I second that."

"Oh? Well, if you want to be productive, here's a mission from me—" Luxord smirked. "Join my boys on their scouting, this is a direct order so they cannot refuse. It gives you gives something to do but also allows you," He pointed at Noctis. "A chance to see Roxas in action, so what do you say?"

* * *

**A/N: **There's chapter one T.T I've actually had this written out since December and just recently took the time to look back on it and edit it again. This is also an experiment for me since the plot is seriously stretched out but I love a good challenge every now and then. Compared to what I'm use to writing, expect to see a lot of action! (I think I've already said that though). No clue when the next update will be, so don't place any high expectations on me just yet.


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